'Asean can play imp role in emerging regional architecture of Indo-Pacific'

India believes that a strong and unifiedEAN can play a constructive role in the emerging regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific, External Affair Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday while underlining that a "multipolar Asia" and a "multipolar world" are increasingly self-evident today. In his virtual address at the 1stEAN Future Forum, he also said "we believe that Quad compliments theEAN and theEAN-led mechanisms" in their effort to make the region prosperous through delivery of people-centric benefits. Jaishankar asserted thatEAN is "at the heart of our Act East Policy" and is a "crucial pillar in India's wider Indo-Pacific vision". "We supportEAN unity, centrality and theEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific," he said. Jaishankar said India andEAN are neighbours sharing "millennia-old cultural and civilisational linkages". TheEAN-India relationship which has entered its fourth decade and has matured into a "comprehensive strategic partnership" is based on shared values and common ...